Every FBI Headquarters Division was the subject of an annual Inspection regarding its operations, activities, and personnel. Historically significant (and previously unknown) statistical information is often contained in those Division Inspection Reports.

Of particular interest are the annual Inspection Reports of “Division 5” which in 1993 became known as the National Security Division but which was previously known in the 1940’s and 1950’s as the National Defense Division, then Security Division, and in the 1960’s as the Domestic Intelligence Division.

Copies of Division 5’s annual Inspection Reports appear in the personnel files of the three Assistant Directors who headed the Division from the 1940’s through the 1970’s, i.e. D. Milton Ladd, Alan Belmont, and William C. Sullivan.

Copies also appear in personnel files of several senior Domestic Intelligence Division employees such as Donald E. Moore, Inspector In Charge, Espionage--Central Research Branch and Joseph A. Sizoo, the Inspector in Charge of the Internal Security Section – Liaison Branch. Moore was also designated as "#1 Man" within the Domestic Intelligence Division--under the Assistant Director.

When these reports were initially released, statistical information regarding the number of live FBI informants inside the Communist Party USA was redacted.After I appealed the redactions, the reports were released again without redacting most of that numerical data.

Since it appears that I am the first and only person to have received non-redacted data regarding the number of FBI informants inside the CPUSA plus other numerical information pertaining to internal security matters, I am scanning pertinent pages from several 1960's Inspection Reports below and summarizing other reports. Also copied below is a page from an FBI monograph on the CPUSA which summarizes the number of CPUSA members from 1919 to 1954.

Comments in the Reports about “two informants in top echelon of the Communist Party” and “sensational information secured this year from top-level CP informants” refer to FBI counterintelligence activities within the CPUSA by two FBI moles, i.e. Morris Childs and Jack Childs (also known by their respective FBI symbols CG-5824-S* and NY-694-S*.

CG = Chicago (where Morris lived)

NY = New York City (where Jack lived)

S = Securityinformant

Asterisk (*) designated person who could never testify in court or otherwise be identified

The Childs brothers participated in a counterintelligence operation code-named “SOLO”.One FBI memo describes the origins of the SOLO operation as follows:

“Solo is code name for operation involving CG-5824-S as official liaison representative between Communist Party (CP), USA, and Soviet Union.Information developed in 1956 that Soviets and CPUSA both desired better means of communication.Survey of this over-all matter reflected that CG-5824-S offered our best potential of penetrating any courier apparatus which might be set up between CPUSA and Moscow.Through careful guidance afforded by Chicago office and deft maneuvering on part of informant himself, CG 5824-S was ultimately selected by Eugene Dennis, CPUSA leader, to go to Moscow as official representative of CPUSA.This information was relayed to Soviets through Tim Buck, Canadian CP leader, and approval of CG-5824-S to act in this capacity was subsequently received by Moscow…Invaluable assistance in over-all operation was afforded by NY-694-S, brother of CG 5824-S.NY-694-S has long been engaged in courier operations between CPUSA and Canadian CP.He was recipient of original information that liaison might be established between Soviets and CPUSA…All problems and obstacles were ultimately surmounted and CG-5824-S (one name deleted) departed for Moscow 4-24-58.They spent one month in Moscow, another month touring Russia and 12 days in China.During this period CG-5824-S conferred with most of highest ranking officials in Russia and China.He returned to this country on July 21, 1958.”[FBIHQ file 67-268746, #194; 8/28/58 memo re SOLO from F. J. Baumgardner to A.H. Belmont.] See below for more information pertaining to a New York field office file on Jack Childs.

1958 Inspection Report

408 live informants inside the CPUSA described as "all time high" up to that point

1960 Inspection Report

“Since February 18, 1959, considerable increase in development of ‘Double Agents’ (26) and potential (36)…Security informant coverage increased to 1507 (1439 as of 3/1/59). Live informants in Communist Party (CP) increased from 412 last inspection to 433 or 7.86% of estimated Party membership (5531).”

1962 Inspection Report

“401 live informants in Communist Party on all levels”

1966 Inspection Report

CPUSA:“…increased active double agents from 57 to 71, potential double agents from 42 to 54…Security informants total 1223 up 95 from last inspection” and

“As of 2/1/67, 51 double agents being operated against Soviets (50 last inspection). 227 individuals under development as potential double agents. 5 defectors in place compared with 4 last inspection…Racial informants increased to 572 from 408. Bureau had 24 informants as delegates, 2 informants as alternate delegates and 16 informants as observers at Communist Party USA National Convention, 6/22-26/66 for excellent coverage of Convention.”

03/06/68 Inspection Report by W. Mark Felt

“Marked increase in racial informants from 574 to 1146…SOLO operation continues to provide valuable information, total of 24 missions completed, 2 since last inspection, 1 currently in progress….Security informants decreased from 1242 (2/67) to 1032 (2/68) due to conversion of some informants to racial informants. 318 informants furnish coverage of Communist Party USA.”

“As of 2/1/68, 44 double agents being operated against Soviets (51 last inspection); 222 individuals under development as potential double agents. 5 defectors in place (same as last inspection), all presently out of country; however, 2 actively operated in past year and furnished valuable information…57 double agents currently being operated against satellite countries, 8 developed since last inspection.”

“As of 5/1/69, 66 double agents being operated against Soviets (44 last inspection). 218 individuals under development as potential double agents (222 last inspection). No defectors in place (5 last inspection)…Informants against Chinese communist intelligence activities have increased from 39 to 64…5 double agents (4 last inspection) being operated in Chinese intelligence field.”

“SOLO operation continues to furnish valuable information, total of 31 missions completed, 7 since last inspection—noteworthy."

04/23/70 Inspection Report by W. Mark Felt

“Violent racial extremist activities continue to increase…Black Panther Party expanding and brazenly advocating overthrow of Government by force. Case load up 5.16%; racial and ghetto informants increased 12.8%...Division has vigorously pressed investigation of New Left terrorists and contributed to 7 convictions and 18 additional indictments arising out of violence at the Democratic Convention in Chicago.”

“Total security matters pending in field 3/31/70 – 37,746, up substantially from year ago. Security and potential security informants decreased slightly attributable to Bureau-wide stress on quality…67 double agents currently being operated against Soviets (66 last inspection). 207 under development as potential double agents (218 last inspection). 5 defectors in place, all out of country at present time…Informants on Chinese intelligence matters increased to 103 from 64 last inspection. 61 double agents furnish valuable information on 7 satellite countries—same as last inspection.”

BY STATE AS OF 12/31/47 (total 75,388) = from NYC file 100-80638, serial #140

BY STATE AS OF 12/31/52 (total 25,497) = from NYC file 100-80638, serial #448

BY STATE AS OF 12/31/55 (total 20,289) - from NYC field file 100-80638, serial #1008

[This file is the FBI-New York field file on CPUSA membership]

BY STATE AS OF 06/30/57 (total 11,504) - from NYC field file 100-80638, serial #1248

This chart includes a summary of CPUSA membership by state and by FBI field office territory from 9/30/56

through 6/30/57.

COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERSHIP STATS

2/15/56
= 20,289 CPUSA members in U.S. [NYC 100-80638-1009, which is 2/15/56 J. Edgar
Hoover to SAC NYC with attachment of 6 page chart showing CP members by state,
by FBI field office, by Communist Party District; pages 5-6 also reports
quarterly figures by state starting 3/31/55 thru 12/31/55]

9/30/58
= 7868 CPUSA members in U.S. [NYC 100-80638, #1550]

9/30/59
= 5766 CPUSA members in U.S. [NYC 100-80638, #1654]

COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERS BY STATE: June 30, 1961 and March 31, 1962 and June 30, 1965

The scanned copies below are from the "CPUSA Membership" file of the FBI New York field office.

6/30/61
= NY 100-80638, serial #1882 [Total CP members = 5262]

3/31/62
= NY 100-80638, serial #1933 [Total CP members = 5164]

6/30/65
= NY 100-80638, serial #2164 [Total CP members = 3665]

Copied below are the first pages of serials #1882
and #1933 along with all pages of serial #2164 which includes a summary chart
of CP membership by FBI Field Division from 9/30/64 thru 6/30/65.

Additional quarterly reports will be posted at a
later date – including from earlier years (such as 1950 and 1951).

FBI PENETRATION OF CPUSA HQ

Scanned below are the first two pages of a May 1957 memo written by Alan Belmont who was the Assistant Director in charge of the FBI's Domestic Intelligence Division.

Belmont's memo reveals the extent of FBI penetration of the CPUSA -- including access to its financial records, membership figures, its organizational structure, and details concerning what transpired during secret closed meetings of senior CP officials - including the CP National Executive Committee. A considerable amount of this data is contained in memos appearing in the personnel files of Inspector Donald E. Moore (Inspector in Charge, Espionage-Central Research Branch of the Domestic Intelligence Division) as well as the HQ and New York City field files on Phil Bart -- the National Organizational Secretary of the Communist Party USA.

This is an extremely valuable (large) file for anyone interested in discovering factual data regarding:

·Policy disputes and personality conflicts within the CPUSA

·CPUSA financial information – including funds from the Soviet Union smuggled into U.S. through Canada CP

·Minutes of CPUSA National Committee and National Executive Committee meetings

·CPUSA disputes with Soviet officials

·Sino-Soviet dispute

·Secret documents obtained by Morris and Jack Childs during their visits to Communist nations and their personal contacts with senior Communist Party officials in the Soviet Union and China

·Circulation figures of CP publications such as Political Affairs, The Worker, People’s World and World Marxist Review

·FBI penetration of CPUSA at all levels, including national HQ in NYC

·FBI file numbers on all CPUSA-related subjects

FBI FILE NUMBERS

As the originating office for the FBI's investigation of the Communist Party USA, the FBI's New York field officeopened hundreds of “main files” pertaining to the CPUSA, its activities, its members, its finances, and all of its operations. Many of these files contain more than 10,000 serials!

Below is a partial list which may be helpful to researchers. Periodically, I will be adding new file numbers to this listing....and I may expand it later to incorporate other field office file numbers such as Boston, Detroit, and San Francisco.

As extensive as this listing may seem, it is only the tip of the iceberg because the FBI created numerous sub-files to capture information about every individual Communist Party club, plus every individual labor union, every civil rights group, or other legitimate organization with known or suspected Communist infiltration aka "Cominfil".

In addition, even the general subject files (such as “Political Activities”) were often further broken down into sub-files by geographical area (such as by County) or by Communist Party district, or by FBI territory or by other categories. For example: the FBI HQ main file might be 100-3-000 (000 = 3-digit subject code), but the same file could add a suffix of another 1,2, or 3 digits to designate data received from a field office or other descriptor on that same subject.

As one example, the FBI HQ file number for the FBI HQ "Prosecution Brief" on the CPUSA was 100-3-74 but information on that same subject which was sent to HQ by the New York field office was filed in HQ file 100-3-74-34 with "34" signifying New York field data. [A similar procedure was implemented with respect to Ku Klux Klan klaverns and White Citizens Council groups, i.e. 2-digit suffixes were added to the HQ file number to designate data received from individual field offices -- or to designate data about particular regions or cities/states.]

Most FBI field offices sent copies of their summary reports regarding the status of the Communist Party in their territory to the FBI’s New York field office. Every field office was required to prepare quarterly or semi-annual summary reports about such matters as CPUSA membership, Communist infiltration of mass organizations, and "Thumbnail Sketches of Subversive Organizations" in their territory.

Regretably, more and more FBI files on CPUSA-related subjects have been, or are in the process of being, transferred to NARA.Others have been destroyed.